Modern Ghibli AU
by Lurid sleep
Summary: An alternate universe where all Ghibli movie characters are friends and are happy. Ashitaka gets roped into running a few errands, because that's just the sort of person he is. (April Fools Special)


Hello beloved followers. In lieu of updating the good fanfiction that everyone likes, I've decided to post something stupid. In fact, you know what? Fuck that other story. It's just gonna be college AUs from here on out. I present to you now, a Ghibli Modern AU. Mostly Fluff. All Ghibli/Miyazaki film characters know each other, are friends, no one dies, and everyone is happy.

* * *

Ashitaka took another slow sip of coffee. He was wide awake, but the cup was only just not full, and it wouldn't do to abandon it now. A glance at the clock told him he had ten minutes to spare before he would need to leave for class.

He switched on his laptop, and checked to make sure all the homework was completed. Indeed, it was. An essay, a chapter analysis from some of the required reading, and his part of a group project, all ready for printing. It would have been much easier, more convenient, and more environmentally sound for the professors to accept homework like this electronically, but sadly, many of them preferred to grade physical copies.

He glanced at the clock again. 7 more minutes. He could leave now, if he wanted, but he already had plenty of time to get to class, print, and snag some proper breakfast from the cafeteria. There really was no need to rush. He took another sip of coffee.

Someone walked up to the door and knocked. "It's unlocked, Asbel" he said, with some practice.

He scrutinized Ashitaka when he opened the door. "How did you know it was me?"

"Howl sleeps in until ten, and Shuna wouldn't have knocked."

"Fair enough," Asbel shrugged. "So, can I ask you for a favor?"

"You can ask, of course" Ashitaka agreed. "But I'll need to know what it is."

"You know the chapter Professor Kushana wanted us to read by next week?" Asbel asked, scratching the back of his head.

"I do. What about it?"

"Well… I never actually got the book. Most of the 'required' reading we do ends up never coming up anyway, so I thought 'why waste thirty bucks?'"

"And you want me to lend you the book so you can read the chapter?"

"Yeah, if you could," Asbel sighed.

Ashitaka turned his laptop so that Asbel could see the file on his screen of the book in question. "I bought the digital copy."

"Oh."

"I can send you the chapter over an email, if you'd like."

"That would be great. Thanks, man."

When Ashitaka finished his coffee, and headed out the door, it was exactly seven. Asbel didn't have class until ten, and Howl wasn't technically a student. He left the apartment on his own.

Yakul was in the stable outside, his head raised in anticipation for the routine ride up the hill to the campus.

Compared to the other various modes of transportation, it was not really so odd for him to arrive to school on a red elk. Compared to the aircrafts and assorted tame beasts, Yakul didn't exactly stand out. The stable beside the parking lot, constructed with riders in mind, had a stall perfectly suited for the elk, beside many other equally diverse creatures.

It was still roughly half an hour until his first class began. The cafeteria was mostly empty, save for a few other early risers.

A cheap meal from the vending machine provided a decent breakfast, though not at all satisfying.

Ashitaka sent the chapter to Asbel, and a minute later, got a text from him.

' _Thnx_

 _Hey btw, you see Nausicaa today? Do you think she would want to hang out after class? I don't want to ask her if she already has stuff to do._

Ashitaka glanced over at her. Nausicaa and Fio were sitting side by side, and laughing about something on her phone. She seemed utterly content in the company of her fellow girls.

 _'I'll ask if she has plans.'_ He agreed, knowing full well that whatever interest Nausicaa had in Asbel, could not quite be enough to compete with every other factor in her life.

Ashitaka considered himself a good friend of Nausicaa. He was sure Asbel's pining for her was a search for reciprocated affection, and nothing deeper. But, Asbel was also his friend, and he wouldn't refuse to at least to be sure he wasn't wrong about that.

He got another text and assumed it was Asbel. When he checked it, he realized it wasn't.

' _Wanna meet for lunch?'_

It was San. However, Ashitaka had affectionately changed her name on his phone to 'Princess', a long time ago. In contrast, he knew she had no similarly affectionate name for him on her phone. She hardly knew how to use the thing for more than calling and texting, and would be utterly opposed to asking him how to edit contacts.

' _Love to._ ' He typed back a second later.

 _'Mule deer haunch thawing in the kitchen rn. I could make some stew if y'_

The message cut off mid-sentence. He assumed she'd his send by accident. Sure enough, she sent the rest of it a moment later. _'ou want.'_ There was something very charming about hard she was trying lately to get accustomed to technology.

She hadn't said so, but he was very sure that she'd only bought a phone in the first place because it made it easier for them to talk. She spent much more of her upbringing hunting, and tanning fur, than utilizing the information super highway.

 _'Sounds good. I'll be on my way over after class.'_

It was probably a good time to make good on his promise to Asbel. Ashitaka made sure not to interrupt the group of girls as he approached. Nausicaa was the first to look up in his direction.

"Hey! Here to join the party?" she scooted over and patted the empty space beside her, opposite the side Fio took.

"Thanks," he said, taking the seat. "Studying?"

"You better believe it," Fio groaned, cracking her knuckles. "We've got an aerodynamics test tomorrow. We had to spend most of the night yesterday quizzing each other."

"We're gonna ace it though, for sure" Nausicaa added, running her hand reassuringly over Fio's back.

" _You_ definitely will. Jiro and you always get the best test scores. I might have a bit more trouble."

"Oh, don't worry so much about it. All that really matters is-"

"'that I tried my best', right?" Fio interrupted.

"-that you _learned_ something" Nausicaa chuckled, prompting Fio to laugh at the mere tackiness of it all. It was another few moments before once again they addressed Ashitaka. For a moment it was like the two of them were in their own world. He understood the feeling, and so was not at all offended by the appearance of being ignored by them.

"So, I imagine you two will be studying together again after classes today?" he asked, motivated more by his own genuine curiosity than just information gathering on behalf of Asbel.

Nausicaa shook her head. "Actually, I agreed that I'd pick Lisa's son up from school at three today. She called me this morning, said that she'd be working late. That'll definitely cut into some study time."

"Oh shoot, I completely forgot you were doing that!"

"Yeah… it was kind of a last minute thing, so I couldn't really say no. Besides, I'd hate to leave Sosuke there for as long as his mom will be at work tonight."

"I can pick him up from school" Ashitaka offered, with scarcely a pause. "The kindergarten is close to where I was going anyway, it'd be no trouble."

"Oh, you don't have to do that." Nausicaa quickly dismissed, flicking her hand and shaking her head. "I didn't mean to sound like I was complaining."

"No, really, I want to. Besides, I imagine it'd be safer for a child his age to ride on Yakul than a glider."

Fio laughed at that, only now imagining Nausicaa trying to hold a child steady on such a precarious flying machine. "He has a point" she agreed.

"Alright, fair enough. If you're really okay with doing this for me, I'd appreciate it a lot."

"Really, it's no trouble."

"Thanks, I'll make it up to you sometime" she promised, and turned back to Fio. "Well, I guess we're back on for study night."

"Hell yeah!" she held her palm up for a high-five, which Nausicaa returned, despite how unusual the gesture was for her. They chuckled happily again, and a phone alarm went off. Startled, Fio reached into her bag, and turned it off. "We better head to class" she announced, standing up alongside Nausicaa. "Thanks again, Ashitaka!"

He waved when they headed off, and once he was alone at the table, he turned on his phone and sent a quick reply to Asbel.

' _She and Fio are studying together today, it seems.'_

He got a response from him a few seconds later. _'Oh. Alright.'_

* * *

Ashitaka's last class that day was business economics. Not the most interesting, but it would hopefully help him toward a good career.

He hadn't spent as much of his life as his classmates considering what he wanted to major in, or what occupation he'd like to take on. Most of his life, he'd been well off, supported by a moderately wealthy family. He didn't need to consider a career until fairly recently, when he was forced to leave home.

He took notes while the teacher droned on, and before he knew it, class was over. He was just getting up to leave, he already had his hand in his pocket, holding his phone in preparation to let San know he was on his way, when he felt a polite tug on the sleeve of his hand still resting on the desk.

"Hey, Ashitaka," He followed the sound of the voice down, to the desk itself, where Arrietty stood, roughly an inch tall. "Can I ask a favor?"

"Of course. How can I help?" Arrietty was usually self-sufficient enough to get anything she needed on her own, not that a person of such a size needed very much. But a borrower living in the world of human beings was bound to face all sorts of problems.

"I know this is very last-minute, but could I have a ride back home? Usually Sho takes me to and from classes, but he left early, and it would take me so long to walk back."

"Sure." He agreed immediately. "I'll need directions, but it shouldn't be a problem."

"Thanks! I really appreciate it."

He held out his hand, and Arrietty climbed aboard. With his other hand, he pulled out his phone.

 _'I might be late for lunch. Something just came up. I'm sorry.'_

* * *

Arrietty sat atop Yakul's head, where the rocking motions of his movement were most stable. The elk hardly seemed to mind.

"It's down the trail, that way." She said, pointing down a faint trail through a park. Ashitaka directed Yakul in that direction. "Thanks again for this. I know you had better things to do today."

"Well, it would've been dangerous for you to try to walk home. No offense, of course, you're a very capable woman."

"None taken, I get it. It also would've taken forever."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did Sho leave early? That seems unlike him."

Arrietty looked uncomfortable, and turned back to face forward before she answered. "It wasn't really his choice to. I told him he should go home. He wasn't feeling…great. And, you know… his health isn't the best it's ever been right now. He's been doing so much better since the surgery, but… sometimes he still gets… unwell. It just worries me, and… I'm sorry, I guess I don't have to explain what that's like to you."

He knew all too well the situation Sho was in. Having been a walking dead man himself, he was probably the only person who could empathize with Sho's attempt at recovery.

At the other side of the park there was a fence that separated it from the property of a middle school.

"It's over there, just behind the shed in the back."

"Your family moved to a middle school?"

"Well, we built a home on the property of a human middle school. It's much easier to get the supplies we need from a huge building that everyone leaves at night. And it's near enough to where Sho lives that he can visit now and then. Besides, the kids are real nice."

He nodded in understanding. An odd choice to live, but clearly her family had put a lot of logical thought into the choice.

He dismounted Yakul by the entrance of the school. He politely extended his hand to allow Arrietty a lift up, and she maintained her balance very well on the palm of his hand. "It should be fine if you just walk through the building."

"Aren't they still in class at this hour?"

"Well, yeah, but they won't pay you any mind, don't worry."

With that reassurance, he pushed through the entrance and made his way down the main hallway. It seemed that the students were on their break. The doors to each classroom were propped open, and the kids were casually leaning over desks, and making conversation just a bit too loudly for it to have been prompted by a teacher.

Ashitaka did his best not to draw any attention to himself, but it proved to be difficult, given how much older, and taller he was than nearly everyone there. One girl in a ponytail was walking down the hall, and didn't pay Ashitaka much mind, until she spied the little Arrietty he was carrying. She rushed up and didn't even address him before grinning eyelevel at the borrower.

"Arrietty! I was worried something bad happened to you, you're late!"

"Yeah, I had to travel by elk today instead of car. But I'm alright."

The girl looked up at Ashitaka curiously. "You rode on an elk? Are you some sort of spirit too?"

He chuckled at that despite himself. "No, though I am well acquainted with them."

"Oh, I see." She nodded. "Where's Sho?"

"He's busy, but Ashitaka was kind enough to give me a lift back home."

"Oh! I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself," the girl apologized quickly. "My name is Chihiro."

"It's good to meet you, Chihiro."

The chatter seemed to get the attention of some more of the school kids, who were also familiar with Arrietty. By the time Ashitaka had politely extended his hand to Chihiro, there were already three more young students prepared to introduce themselves.

Two boys, one named Markl, another called Pazu, and a girl who stood very close to Pazu, who called herself Sheeta. Markl seemed much more interested in telling Arrietty about the exciting goings on in his class, while Pazu and Sheeta were both more soft-spoken, but politely refrained from ignoring Ashitaka, despite his unfamiliarity to them.

"It must be pretty hard to travel so far," Chihiro said, addressing Arrietty still "Do you ever worry you'll have to walk home?"

"Well, I always hope it doesn't come to that, but if it did, I'd do what I have to, you know?"

Markl spoke up quickly, "I've been practicing a spell of protection. Maybe I could cast it on you before you leave for your class next time! That way you'd be safe walking home if you had to."

"That's thoughtful of you, but I'm always on my way to class by the time you get to school, so I don't think that would work very well."

"I read a book today that reminded me of you, Arrietty!" Sheeta said, speaking for the first time since she'd introduced herself.

"Yeah, that's right!" Pazu chimed in, "It was called Gulliver's travels. This explorer journeys across the world, and he finds a kingdom full of little people!"

"A whole kingdom, huh? Wow, I don't think I've ever heard of that many borrowers in one place. Wouldn't that be something?"

They reached the door to the outside, and immediately, more children from the outside looked over curiously. A boy in a striped shirt, with big round glasses sat beside a girl in a black dress, and though they seemed curious, they made no move to investigate the crowd forming around Ashitaka. A younger girl in a cute orange skirt wasted no time running over to investigate.

Over the loud ramble of children, Ashitaka managed to hear Arrietty call for his attention from the palm of his hand, and point off into the distance. In that same direction, he saw the shed that she had described to him earlier.

Behind a supply shed, there was a little dollhouse, a short ways away from the downspout. After carefully setting her down, Arrietty stepped down from Ashitaka's hand, and walked to a carefully constructed little door at the front of the toy house.

"Thanks for the lift!"

"Any time."

Arrietty pushed through the little plastic door, and just before she disappeared into her home, she waved to the children standing behind Ashitaka.

A bell sounded, and all the children at once started back to their classes. Some of them bid their farewells to Ashitaka before leaving, but most of them didn't. Two or three of them left little gifts at the doorstep of the dollhouse before departing. In a minute, the kids were gone to their next class, and Ashitaka let out a deep breath in relief at the brief return of solitude.

He pulled out his phone one more time, and checked for a response from San. There wasn't one, but she had clearly received his message. She might have been angry. She might have been disappointed. He sighed, and headed back to Yakul.

* * *

The road to the kindergarten wasn't too long. Just over the hill a little ways, and past the high school. The high schoolers were already being let out. He could tell by the crowd of teenagers sauntering off, past the gate, and each to their own respective destination.

Most of them walked, but he was sure he saw at least one distant figure being carried off in a chariot held up by clouds. Odd.

He might have gone to investigate, but he was pressed for time. He couldn't leave Sosuke waiting at the kindergarten, so he rode on. By the time he reached the kindergarten, the sun was beginning to sink toward the horizon.

On his way up the hill, cars were headed back down. Few of the drivers paid him any attention, but the occasional young child in the backseat would stare in fascination at Yakul.

Only a few children were left at the school. There were two little boys playing by a window with stuffed animals, and Setsuko, a girl he knew by her older brother, was rolling in circles on the carpet floor.

Sosuke was the only kindergartener sitting still. He raised his head up when Ashitaka approached.

"Hello, Sosuke."

"Hello" the boy replied, unshyly.

"You remember me, right?"

Sosuke nodded. "You're the one who was at the store, right?"

"Yeah. I met you and your mom at the supermarket a few weeks ago. Do you remember what my name is?"

"No. But I remember that you bought a lot of vegetables."

Ashitaka grinned at the memory. He'd attempted to work in a more balanced diet for san, who was especially carnivorous, but to little avail.

"My name is Ashitaka. I'm not surprised you don't remember me very well, but I've spoken a few times to your mother, and I'm friends with Nausicaa, who I'm sure you know pretty well. I'm here to pick you up, since your mother is working late tonight."

"Lisa's working at the senior center late?" The boy asked, in an oddly grown-up cadence.

Ashitaka nodded. "Your mother asked Nausicaa to pick you up, but she needed to study, so I'm here instead. I can take you back to your home on her behalf, if you want. Your mother might not be done at work for a while, but if you'd rather wait for her, I'd understand."

Sosuke shook his head. "No, it's okay. I'd like to go home."

"Alright, let's get going then."

Ashitaka wasn't a stranger, but he wasn't as familiar with Sosuke as Nausicaa, a regular visitor to the kindergarten. As much as he didn't want to let Nausicaa, or Lisa down by leaving the boy at school, he would be utterly opposed to taking Sosuke home without his trust.

Ashitaka didn't have much experience with children, aside from his younger distant relatives, but he knew enough to know how important it was not to frighten them.

Ashitaka lifted the boy up onto Yakul's saddle, and sat behind him, keeping the child secured between himself and Yakul.

"Does your mother often work late?"

Sosuke nodded "Lisa says that she can't always be a homemaker and a breadwinner."

"How come you call your mother by her first name?"

Sosuke shrugged. It seemed to matter so little to the boy. In Ashitaka's own upbringing, such casual terminology would be considered very rude for a child to refer to their parent by. But, he had no right to criticize the lifestyle of such a hardworking family as Lisa's, so if she was fine with her son calling her by her name, then Ashitaka resigned himself to simply becoming accustomed to it.

The house was at the top of a steep hill. During the considerably more challenging climb, Ashitaka removed his added weight from Yakul, and slowly led him by the reigns, with Sosuke hanging on tightly.

At the top of the hill, Ashitaka saw that the lights of the house were on. It brought him some comfort to know that he wouldn't be leaving this six year old at a dark cold house.

Ashitaka picked up the boy and gently set him down on the ground.

"Can you get inside?"

Sosuke ran up to the front door, and reached to try the handle. Before he even had the chance to turn the handle, the door swung open, and a little redheaded girl threw her arms affectionately around him. Sosuke remained standing, despite the suddenness of the attack. It seemed fairly usual to the boy, given how unfazed he was.

Ashitaka had to grin at the sight of them together. When Sosuke pried his arm away from the embrace long enough to wave goodbye, Ashitaka returned the gesture. The door shut, with the two young children inside, and finally, he was free to be on his way. He swung his leg over Yakul's saddle, and headed down the mountain.

* * *

At the bottom of the hill, the town continued on in thin expanses of property. This part of town was more farmland than houses. Much of the forest had been cut to make room for the farms that resided here, on the edge of town. It was far less populated here. Wild animals ran amuck around abandoned houses and driveways.

Cats were snoozing on a lawn in the late day sun, racoondogs ran through tall grass into the woods. The wind was blowing pleasantly cool, swaying the tops of trees and twirling blades of grass. Only a few houses were left abandoned here, at the edge of town.

Ashitaka could see a young boy and girl running to a large old woman standing in the entryway of a farmhouse. When they saw him and waved, he recognized them from the middle school and waved back.

The sun was setting now, and he was nearly out of town. One last farmhouse stood between him and the trees marking the forest. He could see a girl in a dress herding sheep up the hill, and toward a barn away from the woods. She looked over at him for a moment, as if she had some magical sense about her, but lost interest a moment later, and carried on with her work.

There was a faintly worn trail into the forest, made so solely by Ashitaka's own ventures into it. Yakul knew the path so well he hardly needed any guiding. The trees that now surrounded him blocked out what remaining light there was coming from the sky.

There was a light from a fire in the distance, the old fashioned hearth fire from San's home, he suspected. Sure enough, he could see the shape of a rundown old cabin as he approached it. When he neared the old cabin, he left Yakul to wait beside a group of small trees.

Before he even approached the door, a firm, agitated voice called out to him from the other side of a tree. "Careful. There's a wolf at the door."

He recognized her voice before he saw her. And despite how very clearly perturbed she was, he couldn't suppress the smile that overtook his features at the sight of her.

"Then again, there's a wolf out here too. You're completely surrounded."

"Well, I suppose I'm at your mercy then."

"Don't get cute with me," she snapped, stepping closer. "Not after you bail on me, and then show up hours later without any warning, or explanation."

"I had to take Sosuke home on Nausicaa's behalf, and Arrietty asked me to give her a ride home. I wasn't in a very good position to say no to them."

She sighed heavily, and moved her glare away from him. "Well, I wish you just told me that. I don't mind that you have your own life, but… I wish you'd involve me in it." In that rare moment of honesty, he could swear San became flushed with reticence. "Besides, my brothers get into a foul mood when you show up. It would've been nice to prepare."

"I'll take my chances" he grinned, and then, more seriously, he held her hand and spoke softly to her. "I'm sorry that I made you feel that way."

"I's fine, I'm over it" she said, quickly and dismissively, but Ashitaka pursued the matter.

"You're everything my life revolves around" he told her, as honestly as ever.

She was definitely blushing now, but she pushed him out of arm's length in a typical attempt to hide it. "Ugh, I get it, apology accepted. Stop being stupid." Despite her feigned aggression, when she walked inside with him, she reached for his hand. He gratefully received it, and followed her into the run down shack she called home.

* * *

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